A method for acquiring targets within a search area using an electronic device is disclosed. The method involves partitioning a first acquisition time period into a plurality of range gates, simultaneously positioning one or more of the range gates within the search area during a search mode, and transmitting an energy pulse train. Upon receipt of a reflection of the transmitted pulse train, the method records a signal level of the reflected energy pulse train within the first acquisition time period. Based on the recorded signal level, the method advances one or more of the range gates by a prescribed outbound movement increment until the signal level within at least one of the range gates is above a prescribed acquisition signal level threshold.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method for acquiring targets within a search area, the method comprising: partitioning a first acquisition time period into a plurality of range gates; simultaneously positioning one or more of the range gates within the search area during a search mode; transmitting a radar pulse train into the search area; upon receipt of a reflection of the transmitted radar pulse train from a target, recording a signal level of the reflected radar pulse train within the first acquisition time period; and based on the recorded signal level, advancing one or more of the range gates by a prescribed outbound movement increment to extend the search area for subsequent acquisition time periods until the signal level within at least one of the range gates is above a prescribed acquisition signal level threshold.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein simultaneously positioning one or more of the range gates comprises arranging the one or more range gates to substantially cover the search area for the first acquisition time period.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting the radar pulse train comprises observing an RF energy level detected within the search area.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein recording the signal level of the reflected radar pulse train comprises responding to RF energy measured within the first acquisition time period at an adjustable acquisition dwell time.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein responding to the RF energy measured comprises detecting the measured RF energy as a valid target for a prescribed search time corresponding to the adjustable acquisition dwell time.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein advancing one or more of the range gates comprises propagating the one or more range gates in parallel.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein advancing one or more of the range gates comprises propagating a pre-charged range gate to extend the search area for at least a second acquisition time period by the prescribed outbound movement increment at the transition between acquisition time periods.
8. A method of acquiring a target within a search area using a radar device, the method comprising: partitioning a first acquisition time period into a plurality of range gates; simultaneously positioning one or more of the range gates within the search area during a search mode; transmitting a radar pulse train into the search area; as the radar device records a signal level within the first acquisition time period: searching for the target at an adjustable acquisition dwell time during the search mode, the adjustable acquisition dwell time corresponding to the first acquisition time period; and arranging one or more of the range gates within the search area to substantially cover the search area for the first acquisition time period; and based on the recorded signal level, advancing one or more of the range gates by a prescribed outbound movement increment to extend the search area for subsequent acquisition time periods until the signal level within the search area is above a prescribed acquisition signal level threshold.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein transmitting the radar pulse train comprises issuing a series of radar pulses from the radar device into the search area.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein advancing one or more of the range gates comprises propagating the one or more range gates in parallel.
11. The method of claim 8 , wherein advancing one or more of the range gates comprises propagating a pre-charged range gate to extend the search area for at least a second acquisition time period by the prescribed outbound movement increment.
12. A radar system, comprising: a system controller; an RF component in operative communication with the system controller, the RF component comprising a plurality of transmit pulse widths and periods; a gating component coupled to the RF component and the system controller, the gating component passing only signals received from the RF component and allowed by a plurality of range gates; a signal filter and detection component coupled to the gating component and in operative communication with the system controller; and wherein the system controller comprises program instructions that are operable to: partition a search area into the plurality of range gates; and during a search mode for a target that covers the search area over one or more acquisition time periods: transmit, from the RF component, a radar pulse train into the search area; simultaneously position one or more of the range gates for an acquisition dwell time of each of the acquisition time periods; measure, with the signal filter and detection component, a reflection of the transmitted radar pulse train for the acquisition dwell time; and based on the measured amount of radar pulse energy reflected during the acquisition dwell time, advance one or more of the range gates by a prescribed outbound movement increment to extend the search area for each of the acquisition time periods until the target is acquired.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the system controller is at least one of a microcontroller, an application-specific integrated circuit, a field-programmable gate array, a field-programmable object array, and a programmable logic device.
14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the acquisition dwell time is adjustable.
15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the program instructions that partition the search area into the plurality of range gates cause the system controller to arrange one or more of the range gates to substantially cover the search area for each of the acquisition time periods.
16. The system of claim 12 , wherein the program instructions that transmit the radar pulse train cause the system controller to observe an RF energy level detected within the search area.
17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the program instructions that simultaneously position each of the one or more range gates cause the system controller to: respond to the radar pulse energy measured within at least one of the range gates at the acquisition dwell time; and track the measured radar pulse energy during the search mode until the measured radar pulse energy within the at least one of the range gates is above a prescribed acquisition signal level threshold.
18. The system of claim 12 , wherein the program instructions that advance each of the one or more range gates cause the system controller to propagate the one or more range gates in parallel.
19. The system of claim 12 , wherein the program instructions that advance each of the one or more range gates cause the system controller to propagate a pre-charged range gate through each of the acquisition time periods by the prescribed outbound movement increment.
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April 5, 2007
October 5, 2010
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